1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to butchering, and more particularly, to processes for preparation and removal of body meat from hard shelled crustaceans such as crab, crayfish, lobster and rock shrimp.
2. Prior Art
The extraction of meat from the body of hard shelled crustaceans such as crab, crayfish, lobster, and rock shrimp, as opposed to soft shelled crustaceans such as all shrimp species, other than rock shrimp, has proved to be very difficult, time consuming and expensive.
Many of the difficulties stem from the physical structure of the hard shelled crustaceans' shell (this is particularly true for the crab), the manner in which the meat is stuck to the shell, the need to extract and maintain the meat in a minimum bacteriological manner, as well as, the commercial desire to extract the meat in lump form rather than many small pieces. The research, both by industry and universities, has been extensive and has resulted in various improvements in the meat extraction processes.
Pre-treatment of the crustaceans by chemicals, the use of certain cooking conditions, the use of machines which squeeze the meat out, or which core and centrifuge the meat out, or which air or water blast the meat out, or which freeze and explode the meat out have been proposed and advanced with varying degrees of success. A good summary of the recent patent art in this area may be found in a book entitled "Fish and Shellfish Processing" by M. T. Gillies and published by Noyes Data Corporation, Noyes Building, Park Ridge, New Jersey. There is, however, still a need in the seafood industry for processes for facilitating the removal of meat from hard shelled crustaceans.